Kenora city council is once again appealing to the federal government to treat northwestern Ontario differently when it comes to immigration.
The Kenora District Municipal Association has drafted a resolution urging the feds to streamline and expedite specific immigration programs.
Mayor Andrew Poirier says the reality in northwestern Ontario isn’t the same as larger cities in southern Ontario.
“A lot of communities, including Kenora, the youth unemployment rate between 15 and 24 is not 13.8 percent…it’s way lower than that,” Poirier told council at the Committee of the Whole meeting on Tuesday.
“It’s in the very low single digits and in some communities, it’s less than one percent.”
Poirier calls labour market shortage in this region severe.
“We’re asking them (the federal government) on a more individual basis, because there’s many businesses that have reduced hours now, and some have had to close down resorts and such. They just don’t have the workers anymore to address their shortage of staffing.”
The resolution goes on to ask that temporary foreign worker program for rural and northern municipalities, where chronic labour shortages are documented and Canadian recruitment remains unsuccessful. be granted an exemption.
You can find the full resolution here
(File photo)
